Location-aware software applications are becoming of interest to deliver online content to users based on their physical location, as determined by their mobile device. Such mobile devices include, but are not limited to ‘smart’ mobile telephones and tablets. Various location determining technologies can be employed to determine the location of the mobile device and thus the user. These include satellite-based global positioning systems (GPS), cellular telephone infrastructure localisation systems (such as GSM localisation), or wireless access point positioning systems (WiFi-based positioning) to identify where mobile devices are. Localised beacon based technologies and other wireless technologies are also being employed.
Location awareness has many practical applications. One of particular interest is in sending targeted messages to the user based on their location as determined by the mobile device. In addition to the marketing opportunity for retailers, they also provide increased social connectivity and enhanced environmental awareness, offering users a location-based filter for online information.
Currently, when a location-aware application is running, it constantly transmits data and is constantly retrieving location information, usually with maximum accuracy from the GPS. When this occurs over a sustained period, the data transmission amounts to a significant portion of the data transfer of the device and also results in a significant battery drain. Location-tracking applications are notorious for blowing out data allowances and for draining batteries. This may account for why location-aware applications have not received wider adoption.
The present invention has been developed in the light of this background.
In this specification the terms “comprising” or “comprises” are used inclusively and not exclusively or exhaustively.
Any references to documents that are made in this specification are not intended to be an admission that the information contained in those documents form part of the common general knowledge known to a person skilled in the field of the invention, unless explicitly stated as such.